Illuminated sign.



A. L. MEIR-BIN.

ILLUMINATBDSIGN. APPLICATION rmm NOV. 29, 1909.

rammed Aug. 23, 1910 7 1. In L! I. 1 141...

W BY 1 M1 cu/w WITNESSES.-

"K; TORNEY.

ARTHUR L. M EBBIN, F IBELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

To all whom-it may concern; v

Be it known that. I, An'rn tm L. hlERRIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident; of llellingham, in the county'ot "Vhateom and State of ashington', have invented certain new and .useiullmprovements in Illuminated Signs,ot' whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in illuminated signs which may also be read during the night without artificial illumination, especially to those having the so-called trough letters or characters which have deep or flanged sides; and consists in a suitable structure and attachments for placing the source of light within a box the sides whereof bear the trough letters, the back or plane part of said letters being transparent permitting v the interior lightto pass therethrough; and the object of my invention is toeconomize in the amount of artificiallight required as compared to the trough letter signs in which-the sources of light are external and within said trough letters, and to accomplish a more even illumination than is possible by the spot lighting of the usual form referred to. 1

My invention is illustrated in the single sheetofdrawings accompanying this application and forming a part thereof in which similar character refer to similar parts in the several views and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of my improved sign in longitudinal sectional elevation on the line a b of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is an .end'view m trans-verse. sectional elevation on the line 0 (Z of Fig. 3, Fig. 3 is an exterior side elevation of theside, the interior of which is shown in Fig. l, and Fig. d is an end elevation in section on the line e f of .Fig. 3 in which. some enlargement is used especially as regards the thickness of the metal parts in order that these parts may be shown in cross section.

More specifically: 1 and 2 are the sides and l and 2 are the ends of the box, preferably of sheet metal: 3 and 4 are respectively the top and bottom of said box, preferably of wood; 5 and 6 are two doors hinged to the said bottom 4. being suited to close openings in said bottom suited for the admission of ones hand inwtheintcrior. Door 6 is illustrated as standing open and door 5 as being closed while the dotted outline at 5 is door 5 inits open position.

Specification of 'Iietters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23', 1910.

Application filedll'ovember 29, 1909. Serial No. 539,432.

5 and 6 are buttons attached to bottom 4 for retaining doors 5 and 6 in closed po-' sition.

7 and 8 are two insulated electric conductors leading from electric lamps 9, 9, 9, :lo-

cated within said box and attached to the floor 4 thereof. 10, 10 are reflecting surfaces or mirrors retained within said box immediately beneath the top 3. 11,11, etc., are clamping screws suited to retain said mirrors in place.

12' is a (deal attached to the lower side of,

top 3, extending longitudinally through the middlethereof'; against it rests the upper edges of the mirrors 10, 10.

13'. 14 and 15v are three standards rigidly attached to the bottom i and standing Within said box preferably in a medial longitudinal line. Furthermore, standard 13 is located transversely between the middle letters of the sign; standard 14 is located opposite the letter B of the side illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and standard 15 is located opposite letter B on the opposite, or side 1, of the box.

16. 17 and IS are the exterior flanges of three trough letters B, O and N, respectively, constituting. the sign illustrated.

17, Fig. 2 is the. exterior flange of letter i O on said opposite side 1.

16*, 16" are the flange borders of the inte- 19. Ft". 2. is a rod the outer end of .which passes through a hole in pane 17 and is rigidly attached to a disk of met-11119" which is in turn rigidly attached to the metal bottom of the interior portion 17' of the letter one of which ll being Hit) O on the side 1 of said box. The other end of this red 19 is threaded and passes through a hole in standard 13. On saidthreaded .bodv, on each side of standard 13 are clamping Iiuts 19-, 19 by which the distance between standard 13 and side 1 is first adjusted and then said rod is securely fastened tos'aid standard by said nuts. Bythis means, the

interior and otherwise i ated or separate portion or said letterO is securely retained in place in the box structure regardless of the integrity of the pane of glass ii on i. a which itisplared. In a similar manner rod i 21 and clamping nuts 21, 21, securely attacli the interior portion 17 of the letter O on side 2 to stunt ard 13.

' In the letter B there are two isolated, in-

terior portions. The letter B on side 2 has the upper interior portion '16 attached. to standard 1.4 by end disk 20 rod '20 and clamping nut: 20% The lower interior isolated portinn 1G is attached to standard It by end disk rod 22 and clamping nuts 22. Standard similarly furnishes a suitable support. towhieh is attached the intei rior portions of the letter B, on side 1, not

' shown.

In such a structure it is important that seeurenieans for supporting the interior and isolated portions. of the said trough letters be provided. Because these b-lglh' are frequently made of :7 be unsafe to depend on attaching said isolated portions of the letters to the glax against which they are applied. Alt o hecanse oi the fragile nature of said glass such 5 a support should he adjustable in order to easily prmide for its proper installation without Stlbjt'tfllllgilit: glasa to undue strains. 5 Fnrthei'niore, such .s'npporis should be Ru placed thatthey will not east undesiraldo shadows on the parts of the letters tohe illuminated. l have act-mnplislied these desirable o jeets every well in my structure.

The entire interior of the box, excepting" the 1- mirrors 10 l0, and the glasspane including the said standards and rods, is .prelerably painted white. The int: in! and exterior oi the trough letters, glass botton'i, also preferably painted white. r

I am aware that it is not, new to construct Sign letters n the trough form. I am i'nrther aware that nis not new to illuminate f transparent letters by a light placed behind the same. i

ich size that it wonld 'aapling'thef 7 What 1' claim tobe new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

V1. in an illnminatml sign, the combination of charactersezufh having deep sides of opa ue material, having a transparent back, also having isolated portions with deep aides of opaque material, and a bark of opaque malt-rial; Hit-HHS for supporting said isolated p rtion independently of said transparent hawk; and an artificial light placed behind .said transparent hack.

! of a box having sides containing openings covered with transparent material, said iramparent covering being partly rovel'ed attached to said box and lorated within the same, rods having one end attached to said isolated; opaque bodies and the other lend attached to said standards, and means for artificially illuminating the interior of y said hox; i

, niraeters. having isolated interiorjontlinns, transparent coverings for said openings, opaque bodies shaped like thqsaid isolatuh interior outline; of said characters and ap airmen L. MllllRlN.

VWitness -s: j S. Sun-son,

Etienne Hesxms.

3. In an illuminated sign, the combination 5 ot a liox having FKlCS provided with open "s in the form of the external ()tltlllltS of plied to said transparent coverings, stand In an illnn'iinatei'l sign, the (amibination i isolated opaque bodies, standards rigidly 

